With Black Friday upon us, the idea of what we are getting for Christmas looms large upon the horizon. Is it going to be everything you always imagined, or will you be treated to a long line of socks and underwear - or worse, coal? College is sort of like that. Coming in, you have no idea what to expect. Will you have the time of your life, or run home screaming within the first week? After a few months, you definitely have a better idea of college life, and for most people, it's a fairly sweet deal. Sort of like what you find under the Christmas tree. So here's a few examples of how college is like the things you get for Christmas. Happy Black Friday!

1. Selecting a Major = Smartphone

Smartphones have a plethora of apps for you, and open up a world of possibilities. So do the many options of majors you have once you get here. My major hasn't changed, but I know several people who have hopped from one to the other.

2. That 8 AM Class You Love To Complain About = A Coffee Maker

This should be for obvious reasons, but let's just go ahead and state them: This class is the reason you're growing dangerously close to worship of the black elixir of life.

3. Chapel/Student Gatherings = Music

All colleges have gatherings of the majority of their student bodies. Here at Corban, it's usually chapel. And most of these involve music of some kind. So whether it's CDs, iTunes gift cards, or headphones, music seems like a catch-all.

4. Missing Homemade Meals = Tea/Coffee/Candy, etc.

School food just doesn't cut it compared to what Mom can make, and everyone I've ever seen receive tea, coffee, candy, or any kind of frivolous food item gets just as excited as they would for a home cooked meal after weeks and weeks of cafeteria food!

5. Clothes (Especially Shoes) = Walking to Class

Unless you have a car, walking to class is a huge part of life. Here on Corban, we have a rather hilly campus. The ongoing joke is that here, you don't get the freshman fifteen, you get the Corban calves... I'm still waiting for mine to come in.

6. Stuffed Animals = The People

Seriously, college provides some of the best friends you will ever make. Don't take them for granted, because they will always be there for you, like a favorite teddy bear you keep coming back to cuddle.

7. Picture Frames = The Memories

Okay, I understand it's going in a rather sappy direction, but the memories you make will also be some of the best you'll ever have. Don't forget one single moment of your college experience, because it will mold you and shape you for the rest of your life.

8. Candles = Shared Showers

As is commonly known, candles tend to smell nice. And, if human beings go for long periods of time without showering, we tend to...well, not. So at some point, we need to soldier on and drag ourselves down to the communal bathroom, filled with potential for uncomfortable situations. (This is made worse if it is, in fact, a co-ed bathroom. Which is, of course, one of the many reasons I love my school.)

9. Jewelry = An Enhanced Focus on Love Life

Honey, the only Ring by Spring I want is the One Ring, which I can take deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains and slowly go mad. In all seriousness, though, as we are suddenly adults, a certain focus is put on where we're going with our life, and a big part of that here at Corban is one's impending marital status. I am not condoning it, nor am I bashing it. I am merely stating it as fact.

10. Games = Sharing a Room

I heard a friend once describe the roommate assignment as "Roommate Roulette." And it really is a game of chance, unless you've selected your roommate beforehand. You could get lucky and have the best friend of your life...or not so much.

11. Fandom Merch = On-Campus Clubs

Finally, a shout-out to all my fangirls out there! Coming to college, I wasn't sure if I was going to find people who shared my interests. But let me tell you - there's bound to be someone for any one thing you might be searching for! Theater, choir, intramural sports, English Country Dancing, lycanthropy, you name it, your college may just have it!

Just kidding on the lycanthropy, by the way.

But as for this college experience, I highly recommend it. I also recommend Black Friday shopping. Have fun, and try not to get trampled!